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The Hardest and Most Rewarding Study

Of all the people that God has placed in my life, my Grandma Joy is my favorite. I know, I know. You’re not supposed to have favorites when it comes to people and especially relatives but it’s true. My Grandma is awesome! I remember as a young boy the encouraging words that my Grandma spoke to me. I remember her talking with me about church and how I need to follow God. I remember the joy in her eyes when I told her my plans of becoming a pastor. She tells me often that she is praying for me and I fully trust that I am in her prayers.

My Grandma is getting old. Her health is like a roller coaster with calm highs and scary twists and turns. Her greatest fear is dying alone. When I talked with my Dad about the reality of her one day passing he expressed that he wanted to be by her side but was at a loss for what words to say. We concluded that the Word of God was the most comforting and real thing to speak.

I began my search for which Scripture to share with my Dad for him to read to my Grandma and was instantly overwhelmed. Where do I start? What is a good balance? What would I want to hear in my last moments? I took a deep breath. I prayed. I asked God to direct my path and I began the hardest and most rewarding study of scripture. God spoke to me through His Word and I found something that I was not looking for. I was looking for words that would comfort my Grandma and God showed me the comfort that I myself needed.

I know, one day, I will get the call that my favorite person has gone to be with the Lord. God has prepared me for that day, and for this I am truly grateful.

Some of my favorite verses for comfort and hope:
1. Psalm 23 “The Lord is my shepherd…”
2. Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary…”
3. Psalm 18:28-35 “As for God, his way is perfect…”
4. John 14: 1-6 “In my Father’s house are many rooms”
5. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 “There is a time for everything.”
6. Psalm 121 “I lift my eyes to the hills…”
7. Isaiah 40:28-31 “…soar on wings like eagles…”
8. Revelation 7:9-17 “…standing before the throne…”
9. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 “…to meet the Lord in the air”
10. Revelation 21:1-5 “Then I saw a new heaven…”